1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage medium storing a game program and a game apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a storage medium storing a game program and a game apparatus in which a player object and a non-player object are connected to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of game for combining a player object and a non-player object is disclosed in document 1 (Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2003-251076). More specifically, in the game according to document 1, a player is required to successfully roll a ball as a player object and collide it with another object so that the collided object is combined with the surface of the ball, whereby the ball grows to an enormous size at an accelerating rate. When coming into collision with the ball, an object smaller than the ball is combined and integrated into the ball. On the contrary, an object larger than the ball acts as an obstacle, and when the obstacle collides with the ball, some of the previously combined objects are disconnected and separated from the ball.
Meanwhile, document 2 (game software for Nintendo GameCube “Kirby's Airride”<http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gkyj/what3/index.html>) introduces a game in which a player object obtains a non-player object's special ability. More specifically, the player object sucks in a nearby enemy by a player's button operation and copies the enemy's inherent ability. For example, a subsequent button operation allows the player object to make an attack using the ability.
In the game according to document 1, the player merely increases the player object in size by connecting the non-player object smaller than the player object to the surface of the player object. Since the non-player object can be connected just by collision, the game is undeniably too easy and monotonous, making it short of strategic and entertaining characteristics. Also, since the non-player objects are laid on the surface of the player object, there is a problem in that it is difficult to find in what order what non-player objects are combined with the player object. Further, the game has a drawback in that there are no variations in game operation such as acquiring a different kind of ability through collision, in terms of strategic and amusing characteristics.
On the other hand, the game according to document 2 causes an enemy to disappear from the screen when it is sucked in, which makes the progress of the game monotonous and poses a problem in that it is hard to identify which of the enemies has been sucked in. Since it is too easy to obtain the ability of an enemy just by sucking in the enemy, the game tends to be lacking in strategic and amusing characteristics. Also, although the player object can use different abilities according to the kinds of the currently sucked enemies, the player object is given only one enemy's ability for each suction. Even if the player object sucks in a plurality of enemies at a time, only the ability of one enemy selected by roulette is copied to the player object.